The Good Funeral Guide Blog

Introducing the Last Lullaby coffin

Monday, 18 June 2012

We get a steady trickle of phone calls here at the GFG from people who think they’ve got a brilliant product or service to offer the bereaved. Some have, some haven’t. All have already approached funeral directors in the expectation of whoops, backslapping and high fives. All, even the truly brilliant, have been received by more or less unanimous indifference flavoured with lofty disdain or total apathy. No surprises there.

Herein lies great opportunity for elite funeral directors with powers of discernment – those who read this blog, mostly. How great it must be for you to have such competitors.

We were excited to be rung up this morning by an artist called Moth. We find we like her a lot. Moth specialises in murals, and has recently discovered a passion for hand painting children’s coffins. Here’s what she says:

I cannot put right what surely must be one of the most terrible injustices a parent can ever experience – but I can attempt to make a difference – in offering a sensitive and heartfelt alternative to the anonymity of the small, plain white box that is offered to you to transport your precious little person on their final journey in this world. I feel strongly that the anonymity inflicted on babies who die makes it harder for parents to fully engage in the grieving process.

Moth listens sensitively and intuitively, then paints any picture or design parents choose on a wee Sunset coffin, which she prefers for its soft, tactile texture. She says, “It is my passionate desire to give you and your child a voice, and to allow you to live on, knowing that you have given your child a beautiful farewell.”

She’s done her research. She understands the time constraints. She charges according to how much time she spends. The Lily coffin, above, comes in at around £500, a price that is highly unlikely to enrich her.

Judge for yourself. Click on the photos to bring them up to full size.

2 comments on “Introducing the Last Lullaby coffin”

Poppy Mardall

Good Luck, Moth! This is a lovely inspired idea. These examples are beautiful – and sunset coffins have such a gentle surface – absolutely perfect for a baby. We are all in this to try and make a difference, however small: to try and stand shoulder to shoulder with those who mourn – if only for a moment in time, we endeavour together to help them feel they have done the best they can for their beloved.